Didelphis virginiana

Kerr, 1792

Virginia Opossum

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Marsupialia
Superorder : Ameridelphia
Order : Didelphimorphia
Family : Didelphidae
Subfamily : Didelphinae
Tribe : Didelphini
Genus : Didelphis

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Kerr, R. 1792. The Animal Kingdom, or Zoological System of the celebrated Sir Charles Linnaeus. Class I. Mammalia. A. Strahan, T. Cadell, and W. Creech, Edinburgh, 462 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38664217

Original name as described

Didelphis virginiana

Other common names

North American Opossum

Type material

untraced (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Type locality

"Virginia, Louisiana, Mexico, Brasil, and Peru." Restricted by J. A. Allen in 1901 to "Virginia."

Biogeographic realm

Nearctic · Neotropic

Country distribution

Canada · United States · Mexico · Belize · Honduras · Guatemala · El Salvador · Costa Rica

Subregion distribution

USA(WA,OR,ID,CA,CO,NM,NE,IA,WI,KS,TX,OK,MO,AR,LA,MS,AL,FL,GA,SC,NC,TN,IL,IN,MI,OH,KY,VA,PA,DC,MD,NJ,DE,NY,CT,MA,RI,NH,VT,ME)

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000023

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Didelphis Californica

E. T. Bennett, 1833

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

californica

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1855.12.26.190

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/253f7e93-dc06-43af-95f3-8e75ca8c614e

Authority page

40

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12859480

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Didelphis breviceps

E. T. Bennett, 1833

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

breviceps

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1857.12.14.5

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/b1d03e4e-9dc5-4660-81a3-1341cd76d38a

Authority page

40

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12859480

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis virginiana pigra

Bangs, 1898

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

pigra

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MCZ:Mamm:BANGS-3500

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Mamm:BANGS-3500

Authority page

172

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56756018

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)
  2. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)

Didelphis virginiana

Kerr, 1792

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

virginiana

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

untraced (number not known)

Type kind

nonexistent

Authority page

193

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38664217

Authority publication

Edinburgh

Name usages

  1. Cuvier (1797:124, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11637206) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38531)
  2. Godman (1826:7, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49165697) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67021)
  3. Lesson (1827:209, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207677) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  4. Cuvier (1842:2, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44518525) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60227)
  5. Lesson (1842:186) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  6. Bailey (1936:393, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806332) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35313)
  7. Corbet & Hill (1980:9) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  8. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:19) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  9. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)
  10. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:18) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  11. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)
  12. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #40502) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  13. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #40502) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  14. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000023) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  15. Schmidly, Bradley, Yancey & Bradley (2024:5) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67259)
  16. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/40502/22176259) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Didelphis yucatanensis

J. A. Allen, 1901

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

yucatanensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:108299

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/31d57c92f-7908-4da7-9b81-730a15fc5cb8

Authority page

178

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Didelphis yucatanensis cozumelae

C. H. Merriam, 1901

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

cozumelae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:108498

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3447a98b7-ba27-4d59-a87e-8de93b2df534

Authority page

101

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2338999

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis marsupialis texensis

J. A. Allen, 1901

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

texensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:33133 (= USNM:MAMM:A45137)

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/32075da23-a5a4-4294-b1ad-9ea7da69b839

Authority page

172

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis Virginianus

Daudin, 1802

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

virginianus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

152

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033402

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Daudin (1802:152, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033402) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/64044)

Micoureus breviceps

(Lesson, 1842)

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

breviceps

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

186

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Lesson (1842:186) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Micoureus Californicus

(Lesson, 1842)

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

californicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

186

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Lesson (1842:186) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Didelphys breviceps

Giebel, 1855

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

breviceps

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

709

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45548900

Authority publication

Leipzig

Name usages

Giebel (1855:709, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45548900) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38563)

Didelphys californica

Giebel, 1855

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

californica

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

709

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45548900

Authority publication

Leipzig

Name usages

Giebel (1855:709, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45548900) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38563)

Didelphys virginiana

Giebel, 1855

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

virginiana

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

708

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45548899

Authority publication

Leipzig

Name usages

  1. Fitzinger (1855:450) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/65926)
  2. Giebel (1855:708, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45548899) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38563)
  3. True (1885:587, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7306381) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35039)

Didelphis virginiana virginiana

V. O. Bailey, 1936

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

virginiana

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

393

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806332

Authority publication

North American Fauna

Name usages

  1. Bailey (1936:393, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/25806332) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/35313)
  2. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)
  3. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)
  4. Schmidly, Bradley, Yancey & Bradley (2024:5) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67259)

Didelphis virginiana californica

A. L. Gardner, 2005

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

californica

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)
  2. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)
  3. Schmidly, Bradley, Yancey & Bradley (2024:5) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67259)

Didelphis virginiana yucatanensis

A. L. Gardner, 2005

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

yucatanensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

  1. Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)
  2. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)

Didelphys illinensium

Link, 1795

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

illinensium

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

67

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46272943

Authority publication

Rostock

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphys pilosissima

Link, 1795

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

pilosissima

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

67

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46272943

Authority publication

Rostock

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis woapink

B. S. Barton, 1806

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

woapink

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

2

Authority publication

Philadelphia

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphys boreo-americana

Oken, 1816

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

boreoamericana

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

inconsistently_binominal

Authority page

1158

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59375905

Authority publication

Jena

Didelphys pruinosa

J. A. Wagner, 1842

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

pruinosa

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

40 (footnote)

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31060267

Authority publication

Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

Didelphis nelsoni

J. A. Allen, 1901

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

nelsoni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_nudum

Authority page

160 (footnote)

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Didelphis boreo-americana

J. A. Allen, 1902

Family

Didelphidae

Root name

boreoamericana

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

252

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Name usages

Gardner (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8547)

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